Tuesday, June 19, 2012

This is quite amazing, the journey of the two spacecrafts, Voyagers I & II.Thirty five year ago launched to explore the planets within our Solar System not only continues to travel further away, amazingly is still sending back new information to earth close to leaving the Solar System altogether.

NASA Voyager 1 spacecraft nears interstellar spaceNASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has encountered a new environment more than 11 billion miles from Earth, suggesting that the venerable probe is on the cusp of leaving the solar system.

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The Voyager 1 probe has entered a region of space with a markedly higher flow of charged particles from beyond our solar system, researchers said. Mission scientists suspect this increased flow indicates that the spacecraft — currently 11.1 billion miles (17.8 billion kilometers) from its home planet — may be poised to cross the boundary into interstellar space.

"The laws of physics say that someday Voyager will become the first human-made object to enter interstellar space, but we still do not know exactly when that someday will be," said Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, in a statement.

"The latest data indicate that we are clearly in a new region where things are changing more quickly," Stone added. "It is very exciting. We are approaching the solar system's frontier."

Dang, the plot thickens. I was under the impression that the helicopter deal was a no go, and, hard to believe, I was just so wrong.

British Insurer Pulls Cover on Russian Arms Ship

A British marine insurer has withdrawn cover from a Russian ship believed to be carrying overhauled combat helicopters to Syria, after finding out there were weapons on-board.

The MV Alaed, currently in the North Sea, is believed to be carrying a cargo of Mil Mi-25 attack helicopters en route to Syria from Russia as well as coastal-based anti-ship missiles. Russian cargo line Femco, which owns the MV Alaed, says the insurer, Standard Club, has suspended cover on its ships.

OOOH, so there are helicopters! I am shocked, just shocked!Now get this.

He also said military equipment being supplied to Syria was defensive in nature and could not be used against civilians.